"So, you went on a date?"
"No. I wouldn't call it a date at all. We met at the beach. Took a stroll, talked for a little while, and left."
"Okay, so a semi-date."
"Payton, come on."
"Okay, okay. You don't have to be so uptight about it."
I balled up a piece of paper and flicked it at her but missed.
"First of all… you have terrible aim. Now, can you get back to telling the story? How was the conversation with Ethan?"
"Surprisingly, it was nice."
"You mean to tell me you didn't try to bite his head off? I'm impressed."
"Today was more of an opportunity to catch up, that's all. He knows that I wasn't very fond of the way he left things between us. But honestly, that was so long ago. It seems a little ridiculous to carry on about it now."
"Oh, so this is the second time you're getting together?" Suddenly Payton didn't seem to be as interested in her filing cabinet.
"Not really. The first time he followed me out to the parking lot at work, but we're losing focus here. The main point is we talked about everything, he explained that he never meant to hurt me, and we had a chance to get past that and just catch up. That's it."
"No, Ma'am. That's not it. If that were it, you wouldn't be sitting here at my place of business, telling me you have a lot on your mind. It sounds like you're intrigued by the time spent with Ethan, and you just don't want to admit it."
"It's not like we spent a long time together. I was just surprised at how easy it was to talk to him. Just as if we never lost time together."
"I would imagine it's because the two of you were always best friends. That kind of bond is hard to break."
"Yet, he still managed to break it," I said.
"Rebecca, he was young. I could go on and on telling you all the reasons why he made the right choice, but I think deep down inside, you know that already."
"So, what are you trying to say?"
Payton walked over and placed her hands on top of mine.
"I'm saying if he's back, and the two of you want to spend time catching up, just enjoy the journey. Life's too short to be stressing over every little thing."
After returning to her filing cabinet, she added, "Besides, what are the odds the two of you would still be single after all these years?"
The last comment was cause for me to make another paper snowball and throw it at her. I realized there may be repercussions for doing so, but what kind of younger sister would I be if I didn't stir up a little trouble?
"Rebecca, will you quit! I'm only going to allow you to be back here with me if you can be civilized so I can get some work done. Now, what else was on your mind besides Ethan?"
"You're not going to want to hear this, but I'm sharing anyway."
"I'm listening," Payton said.
"I followed up and did some research on the property in Savannah."
"And?"
"Turns out the property sits on eight acres of land. It's a cape located on Grove Point Road. It has about five bedrooms with a total of 4,000 square feet."
"Okay." Payton still didn't seem excited.
"I was able to get in touch with a neighbor who was good friends with Uncle Samuel. He says his family keeps an eye on the company that cuts the grass. Apparently, one of the sisters is paying for basic yard work to help keep up the appearance of the neighborhood."
"What about the condition of the house?"
"He said the house needs a lot of work. Upon first glance, it looks like a lovely home from the road, but when you get closer you can see greenery growing out of the gutters, it needs a new roof, and it smells like mold on the inside."
Payton perched her eyebrows. "Great. And you want to take this on as a fun project?"
"I don't know how fun it would be, but I know it would be rewarding. I called a realtor after just to learn about the neighborhood comps. The realtor seems to think this house could easily sell for 750,000, and maybe even higher if it's renovated properly."
"Rebecca, am I missing something here? I thought the whole issue for the daughters is they didn't want to take on the project, and they wanted to honor their father's wishes of not selling the place?"
"That's right," I said.
"Well, the way you're talking, it sounds like you’re looking to fix up the house to sell it. Isn't that going against Uncle Samual's wishes?"
"The clause states that we would have to keep and maintain the property for a minimum of five years. Afterward, we'd be free and clear to do as we please."
"Oh, for goodness, sake. No. I'm sorry, Rebecca, but I think we'd be biting off way more than we can chew. It sounds like too much of a headache if you ask me."
"The house is paid for, Payton. Do you realize what we could do with a 4,000 square foot property located on eight sprawling acres of land? Who cares if we have to keep it for five years. We could rent it out. Maybe even target high-end renters and hire a management company to keep the place up. Or maybe we could even turn it into a bed and breakfast. I can just see it now. A small-town B&B located in Savannah, Georgia. I get excited just thinking about it."
I held up my hands imagining a beautiful sign on the front that read 'Small Town B&B' or 'Matthews B&B.'
Payton looked irritated.
"I'm starting to think you've lost your marbles, Rebecca. This is no different from when we were little kids. You always had all of these amazing ideas, you'd get everyone involved, and then would be the first one ready to
